TWO HERMIONES ARE BETTER THAN ONE

See Emma Watson Adorably Embrace Harry Potter’s Other Hermione

Last month, Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling helped revive the beloved characters of her franchise for a two-part play in the West End titled Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Written by Jack Thorne and directed by John Tiffany, the official eighth installment of the Potter franchise fast-forwards a few decades and revisits the titular character as “an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband, and father of three school-age children.”

Rowling confirmed the project last summer, revealing on Twitter that she helped shape Potter’s story as an adult, and teased, “I don’t want to say too much more, because I don’t want to spoil what I know will be a real treat for fans.” She also explained why she chose to explore a different medium for this phase of Potter’s life, tweeting, “I am confident that when audiences see the play they will agree that it was the only proper medium for the story.”

The play is still in previews, but Emma Watson, the O.G. Hermione Granger, scored a ticket to the Wednesday evening show. Afterward, the actress met the show’s cast backstage—including the production’s Hermione, Noma Dumezweni—and gushed about the experience on Facebook.

“Yesterday I went to see the Cursed Child,” Watson wrote her Facebook friends. “I came in with no idea what to expect and it was AMAZING. Some things about the play were, I think, possibly even more beautiful than the films. Having seen it I felt more connected to Hermione and the stories than I have since Deathly Hallows came out, which was such a gift.”

About Dumezweni, Watson said, “Meeting Noma and seeing her on stage was like meeting my older self and have her tell me everything was going to be alright, which as you can imagine was immensely comforting (and emotional)! The cast and crew welcomed me like I was family and Noma was everything I could ever hope she would be. She's wonderful. The music is beautiful… I could go on…”

January: Starting with a Stylish Splash

Emma Watson kicked off the year on a stylish note, with this dramatic dress/pants combo at the Golden Globes. But little did we know that this bold fashion choice would be an indicator of the splash Watson would make in 2014. Elegant in the front, daring in the rear, and, best of all, completely comfortable. You can bet any woman wearing a cumbersome gown was jealous of Watson’s ease.

Photo: By FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP

February: Not Just a Cover Girl

Watson has been on the cover of many magazines in her short 24 years, but in this edition of Wonderland, the actress also tried her hand at guest editing. Watson used her wattage to get an impressive line-up of celebrities to appear in the magazine, including Jonah Hill, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Lena Dunham, her Bling Ring director Sofia Coppola, her Noah director Darren Aronofsky, and, of course, J.K. Rowling.

March: Imaginary Couple Alert!

Unlike some young actors in Hollywood, Watson has been able to keep her personal, and romantic, relationships out of the headlines. But that didn’t stop some very enthusiastic wishful thinking following her appearance at the Academy Awards. Watson’s co-presenter, the very gallant Joseph Gordon-Levitt, greeted her at the microphone with a sweeping bow which she returned in kind. That’s not much to go on, sure, but then Gordon-Levitt posted this charming backstage selfie to his Facebook page and the Internet lost its collective mind. For the record, they are not dating, but the world is ready to accept Watson as one half of a grown-up super-couple.

March: Stealing the Spotlight

But Watson really kicked 2014 into high gear with her impressively mature performance in Noah. Stealing scenes from Russell Croweand a biblical storm? Not bad, Watson. The actress had already done some impressive post-Potter work: The Bling Ring, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, a raucous cameo in This Is the End. But none quite as grounded and emotionally intense as her portrayal here.

Photo: REX USA/Moviestore/Rex

September: #HeForShe

This is the big one. Even those who weren’t tracking Watson’s personal or professional trajectory in 2014 heard about this. Emma Watson’s speech on feminism, which launched the #HeForShe campaign, was inspiring, eloquent, and divisive. (Hint: The divisive part just means it’s working.) The speech, and Watson’s influence, went on to inspire a host of male allies to throw their support behind the feminist cause

Photo: Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images

October: The Royal Treatment

Pushing pause on the activism to return to Watson’s style-icon status, the actress influenced none other than Kate Middleton herself. At least, that’s what we choose to believe. The Duchess of Cambridge was seen wearing pieces by hip, contemporary Spanish jewelry designer Monica Vinader. Vinader, one of Watson’s go-to designers, provided pieces for the actress to wear to some of her biggest events in 2014, including the Noah premiere and the U.N. #HeForShe party. So do we know for certain that Kate is taking fashion tips from Emma? We don’t. But it’s not outside the realm of possibility.

December: The Face of Feminism

There are a number of women who made worthy steps forward for feminism this year, from Beyoncé to Laverne Cox, to Malala Yousafzai. But Watson did close out 2014 on a feminist high with this campaign for Elle U.K.’s December issue and was, just this week, voted the top feminist celebrity of 2014 in a Ms. Foundation for Women online poll. Given the year she’s had professionally, academically, and personally, Watson has earned every accolade she’s received. Hermione would definitely be proud.

Photo: By Michael Tran /Getty Images

January: Starting with a Stylish Splash

Emma Watson kicked off the year on a stylish note, with this dramatic dress/pants combo at the Golden Globes. But little did we know that this bold fashion choice would be an indicator of the splash Watson would make in 2014. Elegant in the front, daring in the rear, and, best of all, completely comfortable. You can bet any woman wearing a cumbersome gown was jealous of Watson’s ease.

By FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP

February: Not Just a Cover Girl

Watson has been on the cover of many magazines in her short 24 years, but in this edition of Wonderland, the actress also tried her hand at guest editing. Watson used her wattage to get an impressive line-up of celebrities to appear in the magazine, including Jonah Hill, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Lena Dunham, her Bling Ring director Sofia Coppola, her Noah director Darren Aronofsky, and, of course, J.K. Rowling.

March: Imaginary Couple Alert!

Unlike some young actors in Hollywood, Watson has been able to keep her personal, and romantic, relationships out of the headlines. But that didn’t stop some very enthusiastic wishful thinking following her appearance at the Academy Awards. Watson’s co-presenter, the very gallant Joseph Gordon-Levitt, greeted her at the microphone with a sweeping bow which she returned in kind. That’s not much to go on, sure, but then Gordon-Levitt posted this charming backstage selfie to his Facebook page and the Internet lost its collective mind. For the record, they are not dating, but the world is ready to accept Watson as one half of a grown-up super-couple.

March: Stealing the Spotlight

But Watson really kicked 2014 into high gear with her impressively mature performance in Noah. Stealing scenes from Russell Croweand a biblical storm? Not bad, Watson. The actress had already done some impressive post-Potter work: The Bling Ring, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, a raucous cameo in This Is the End. But none quite as grounded and emotionally intense as her portrayal here.

REX USA/Moviestore/Rex

May: 100 Points to Gryffindor

Sure, Watson is no ordinary co-ed. She may have had to take a bodyguard with her when she graduated from Brown University, but graduate she did and she’s got the excited selfie (and, I suppose, a diploma) to prove it. She has called her time in school an act of rebellion, saying, “I was insistent on being normal and doing normal things.”

May: Hashing it Out

July: A Crash Course

Watson laid low for a month after graduation. (Backpacking across Europe? Probably not.) But she returned with a vengeance to land a new gig as the U.N. Women Goodwill Ambassador. We didn’t know then what kind of impact Watson would make with this role, but the fact that the announcement of her appointment crashed the U.N. Web site should have been a pretty good indicator of what was to come.

By MIGUEL ROJO/AFP/Getty Images

July: Meeting of the Minds

Of course, Watson’s post-graduation summer wasn’t all dignified positions at the U.N. and important humanitarian campaigns. Watson, England’s favorite young actress, met Jennifer Lawrence, America’s favorite young actress, and somehow the world didn’t implode from the combined charm.

By Rindoff/Dufour French Select/Getty Images.

August: Laugh Riot

Watson had a very triumphant August, which saw her landing on Vanity Fair’s International Best-Dressed List. She was praised for the poised way she’s grown up before our eyes on the red carpet. But this dressed-down photo may have gotten Watson even more attention. The actress posted this giggling portrait as part of a protest against a sexist Turkish politician who suggested women shouldn’t laugh in public. But if you thought Twitter photos were the extent of Watson’s activism, you were in for a surprise.

September: #HeForShe

This is the big one. Even those who weren’t tracking Watson’s personal or professional trajectory in 2014 heard about this. Emma Watson’s speech on feminism, which launched the #HeForShe campaign, was inspiring, eloquent, and divisive. (Hint: The divisive part just means it’s working.) The speech, and Watson’s influence, went on to inspire a host of male allies to throw their support behind the feminist cause

Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images

October: The Royal Treatment

Pushing pause on the activism to return to Watson’s style-icon status, the actress influenced none other than Kate Middleton herself. At least, that’s what we choose to believe. The Duchess of Cambridge was seen wearing pieces by hip, contemporary Spanish jewelry designer Monica Vinader. Vinader, one of Watson’s go-to designers, provided pieces for the actress to wear to some of her biggest events in 2014, including the Noah premiere and the U.N. #HeForShe party. So do we know for certain that Kate is taking fashion tips from Emma? We don’t. But it’s not outside the realm of possibility.

December: The Face of Feminism

There are a number of women who made worthy steps forward for feminism this year, from Beyoncé to Laverne Cox, to Malala Yousafzai. But Watson did close out 2014 on a feminist high with this campaign for Elle U.K.’s December issue and was, just this week, voted the top feminist celebrity of 2014 in a Ms. Foundation for Women online poll. Given the year she’s had professionally, academically, and personally, Watson has earned every accolade she’s received. Hermione would definitely be proud.